Diagnosing and managing invasive meningococcal disease in children
Camelia Laura Vaina Specialty doctor in paediatrics, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Somerset
Siba Prosad Paul Specialty trainee, year 6, in paediatric gastroenterology, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Anthony Paul Heaton Consultant paediatrician, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Somerset
Christine Routley Matron in paediatrics, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Somerset
Huma Mazhar Specialty trainee, year 6, in paediatrics, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Somerset
Camelia Laura Vaina and colleagues discuss a clinical audit of emergency practitioners’ adherence to guidelines for the treatment of this serious bacterial condition
In developed countries, invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a leading infectious cause of death among children. In the UK, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is the most frequently identified cause of IMD. This article describes a clinical audit in which early management of IMD is compared with recommendations in the relevant guidelines. It confirms the importance of early recognition of IMD and the need to review previous, less serious diagnoses in ill children. Emergency department nurses play a vital role in the early recognition and management of IMD. Introduction of a meningococcal B vaccine is likely to benefit children in the UK.
Emergency Nurse.
21, 2, 24-27.
doi: 10.7748/en2013.05.21.2.24.e1168
Correspondence
siba.paul@nhs.net
Peer review
This article has been subject to double blind peer review
Conflict of interest
None declared
Accepted: 15 April 2013
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